1
as in flinching
to draw back in fear, pain, or disgust
we quailed when the waiter unexpectedly presented us with a hindquarter of frog's legs
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quailing
Verb
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Cole agreed, but did do some flinching.
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Without flinching, the two plunged into the waves to rescue the woman.
Verb
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More comics journalism from Life Kit Still cringing about that awkward moment?
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Try and get through this one without cringing.
Verb
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This is typical of Hacks, a series that constantly positions itself to do something emotionally dangerous before recoiling toward a safer version of it.
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Coinbase’s effort, filled with little nuances and created to emulate the experience of a videogame, might have people welcoming another look rather than recoiling at seeing the spot for the 15th time in a period of just a few days.
Verb
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With several strippers, patrons and employees cowering in fear, the two men talk.
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The Wolves will retreat to their corner, bandage some wounds and aim to actually come out swinging Friday after cowering in the corner for the bulk of Game 2.
Verb
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Otherwise, Makar will be wincing through pain trying to explain the unfathomable, Blackwood will be dropping F-bombs in disbelief and MacKinnon will be ducking reporters despite being the team’s best player.
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Throughout training this week, Bombito was seen wincing when taking tight turns and limping at times following drills.
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Cite this Entry
“Quailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quailing. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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